Process and apparatus for the production of sheet glass



Oct. 31, 1933. L. c. MAMBOURG PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHEET GLASS Filed Nov. 12, 1950 INVENTOR Lu/(e C. Ma'm bour ATTO RN EY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHEET GLASS Luke 0. Mambourg, Lancaster, Ohio, assignor to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 12, 1930 SerialNo. 495,024

3 Claims. (01. 49-87) This invention relates broadly to the production of continuous sheet glass by rolling and more particularly to a process and apparatus for treating the forming rolls prior to the beginning of the formation of the sheet.

Although not restricted to such use, the present invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be described herein in connection with a sheet glass rolling machine embodying a pair of spaced forming rolls positioned above a mass of molten glass contained in a relatively shallow working receptacle, said rolls being rotatable in a manner to draw a relatively heavy body of glass upwardly from said molten mass and reduce it to a sheet of "substantially predetermined and uniform thickness, said sheet being continued upwardly for a relatively short distance and being then deflected into the horizontal plane over a suitable bending member, and passed horizontally into and through an annealing leer.

Before a glass sheet of good quality can be produced with a rolling machine of the character above described, it is essential that the forming rolls be in a highly heated condition and, in the event the rolls are cold when placed in the machine or at the beginning of the sheet forming operation, considerable time is lost before the rolls are heated up to the proper temperature, the sheet being formed during the period of heating g up of the rolls being of a relatively poor quality and unsatisfactory for commercial use. In addition to the above, if the rolls are cold at the beginning of the rolling operation, they are very apt to be warped or otherwise injured upon initial contact of the molten glass therewith.

The general aim and object of the present invention resides in the provision of a process and apparatus for treating the forming rolls of a sheet glass rolling machine in such a manner as to bring the said rolls to a desired temperature prior to the beginning of the formation of the sheet Another object of the invention is the provision of such a process and apparatus wherein the forming rolls are first preheated to the desired temperature, after which the said rolls are moved into operative relation with respect to the mass of molten glass from which the sheet is adapted to be produced and the formation of the sheet then started.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a process and apparatus including means for preheating the forming rolls to the desired temperature, means for rotating the rolls during the preheating thereof, and means for moving said rolls first into operative relation with respect to the preheating means and after preheating, into operative relation with respect to the mass of molten glass from which the sheet is adapted to be produced.

Other objects and advantages of the inven- 0 i tion will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

- In the drawing forming a part of this application and wherein like numerals are employed to 5 designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through sheet glass apparatus in connection with which the present invention is to be'us'ed, the rolling machine proper being shown in broken lines, and 7 Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the rolling machine proper, showing it in operative relation with respect to the furnace for preheating the forming rolls.

Referring now to the drawing, A designates in 7 1 its entirety the working end of a continuous tank furnace and B, the rolling machine proper associated therewith. The furnace A includes a relatively shallow working receptacle or pot 5 containing a mass of molten glass 6 which is preferably continuously supplied thereto from the tank 7. To assist in properly conditioning the molten glass 6 and also protect the forming rolls and sheet formed thereby from heat and gases, there is mounted above the working receptacle 5 suitable cover tiles 8 and 9, and associated with the cover tile 9 is a cooler 10.

The rolling machine B embodies a pair of sheet forming rolls 11 preferably positioned in horizontal alignment with one another above'but closely adjacent the surface of the molten glass 6. These forming rolls are located within the space between the cover tile 8 and cooler 10 and are adapted, upon rotation thereof, to draw a relatively heavy body of glass 12 upwardly from 5'; the molten mass 6 and reduce it to a sheet 13 of substantially predetermined and uniform thickness, the distance between the forming rolls determining the thickness of sheet produced. The forming rolls 11 are therefore associated with 10b one another in a manner to create a sheet forming pass therebetween and are also preferably internally cooled to prevent overheating thereof during sheet formation. The sheet 13 is continued upwardly for a relatively short distance, after which it is deflected from the vertical into the horizontal about a rotatable bending roll 14 and thence passed horizontally over a plurality of conveyor rolls 15 and flattening table 16 into an annealing leer. 11'0 The forming rolls 11 and bending roll '14 are rotatably mounted at each end within a bearing housing 17 suspended from a horizontal frame 18 removably supported in any suitable manner above the working receptacle 5 and being composed of a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending beams 19 and a plurality of spaced transversely arranged beams 20. The conveying rolls 15 are journaled at each end within a bearing bracket 21 also carried by the supporting frame 18. The supporting frame 18, forming rolls 11, bending roll 13, and conveying rolls are therefore movable as a unit into or out of operative relation with respect to the working receptacle 5.

1 This movement can be effected with the use of chains or the like 22 connected to the frame 18 and being also associated with a suitable overhead crane.

Carried by the supporting frame 18 and movable therewith is a motor 23 and this motor, through suitable reduction gearing located in housing 24, is adapted to drive the shafts 25 and 25' carrying worms 26 and 26' respectively, which mesh with worm gears 27 carried by the forming *rol1s 11 to efiect the desired rotation thereof. The bending roll 14 is also driven from motor 23 through a shaft 28 and bevel gear 29 meshing with a corresponding beveled gear 30 carried by bending roll 14. Likewise, the conveyor rolls 15 3o are driven from motor 23 through a shaft 31 carrying worms 32 which mesh with worm gears 33 carried by said conveyor rolls.

As pointed out above, the aim of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus 35 -.for treating the forming rolls in such a manner as to bring them to the desired temperature before the formation of the sheet is started, thereby'obviating the objectionable features incident to the use of cold rolls. To this end, there is 40 --.positi0ned at a suitable point, preferably adjacent to the furance A, a preheating furnace 34 adapted for use in heat treating the sheet forming rolls 11. While this furnace may be of any desired construction, it has been illustrated in .the drawing as consisting of a chamber open at its upper end and having arranged therein a suitable checker-work 35 and a plurality of burners 36 adjacent the bottom thereof. 7

In practice, when it is desired to treat the forming rolls so as to bring them to the temperature desired at the start of the rolling operation,

the rolling machine proper including the supporting frame 18 and the rolls carried thereby is moved bodily to bring the forming rolls to a .position above the preheating furnace-Bias 'shown in Fig. 2. When this is done, the heat passing upwardly through the checker-work 35 will result in a preheating of the forming rolls to the desired temperature. During the preheating of the rolls, the said rolls are adapted to be maintained in constant motion by operation of the motor 23 whereby to prevent warping thereof and also in order that they may be heated uniformly. After the forming rolls have been brought to the desired temperature, the rolling machine proper is then placed in operative position with respect to the working receptacle 5, as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1, and the formation of the sheet started. By preheating the forming rolls in the manner above described, the rolls will be in condition to draw quicker than heretofore and in addition, the danger of the rolls being Warped or otherwise injured upon initial contact of the molten glass therewith will be obviated.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodimentof the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. The process of producing sheet glass with a sheet glass rolling machine including a pair of rotatable forming rolls, which consists in first preheating the forming rolls, moving the rolls into operative relation with respect to a mass of molten glass from which the sheet is adapted to be produced only after the said rolls have been brought to a desired temperature, and in then starting the formation of the sheet.

2. The process of producing sheet glass with a sheet glass rolling 'machine including a pair of rotatable forming rolls, which consists in first preheating the rolls, in maintaining the rolls in motion during the preheating thereof, moving the rolls into operative relation with respect to a mass of molten glass from which the sheet is adapted to be produced only after the said rolls have been brought to a desired temperature, and in then starting the formation of the sheet.

3. The process of producing sheet glass with a sheet glass rolling machine including a pair of rotatable forming rolls, which consists in first substantially uniformly preheating the rolls, in continuously rotating said rolls during the preheating thereof, then bringing the rolls into operative relation with respect to a mass of molten glass from which the sheet is adapted to be produced while maintaining the said rolls in rotation, and in then starting the formation of the sheet.

LUKE C. MAMBOURG. 

